Considering Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

Spine surgery is an area of expertise within neurosurgery. All neurosurgeons are not spine surgeons. The nervous system is made up of two parts: the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) and the peripheral nervous system. Neurosurgeons can have specialized expertise in the brain, the spine or peripheral nerves. Our expertise includes minimally invasive surgical approaches for numerous spine conditions.

Depending on the diagnosis, minimally invasive spine surgery utilizes a variety of technologies including, lasers, endoscopes, operating microscopes, and computer-assisted navigation systems. The expense of these technologies as well as the significant training required to perform minimally invasive procedures prohibit many medical centers from offering minimally invasive surgical therapies. As a leader in minimally invasive spine surgery, UC San Diego trains surgeons nationally in these techniques.